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July 29, 2011

G104: White Sox 3, Red Sox 1

Tim Wakefield (7-3-3-2-5, 101) did not get his 200th career win and Dustin Pedroia (0-for-4) did not extend his hitting streak to 26 games.

The Red Sox were held to only three hits and had only two runners past second base, one of whom was Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who homered in the third.

Pedroia grounded out to third in both the first and fourth innings. He grounded into a 6-4 fielder's choice in the sixth, and led off the ninth with a first-pitch fly-out to center fielder Alejandro De Aza in right-center.

After Salty's dong to start the third, Drew Sutton singled, but he was erased when Marco Scutaro grounded into a double play. Scutaro had the Sox's third hit of the night when he singled in the sixth with one out. Jacoby Ellsbury walked and was forced at second by FY. David Ortiz walked, loading the bases. Kevin Youkilis, trying to increase Boston's 1-0 lead, fell behind 0-2, worked the count back to 2-2 and took a pitch well off the outside corner for ball 3. However, plate umpire Rob Drake called it strike 3, ending the inning. Those three runners were the only men the Red Sox left on base tonight.

The pitch (the 5th of the PA) was not a strike.

The White Sox tied the game in their half of the inning on only five pitches. Juan Pierre bunted for a hit, was sacrificed to second, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly to left. In the seventh, A.J. Pierzynski broke the tie with hit a two-run homer.

After Youkilis was called out on strikes to end the sixth, the Red Sox went in order in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings.

Wakefield takes the hill in Chicago, hoping to become the 111th pitcher in baseball history to reach the 200-win mark. Wakefield has 185 wins for the Red Sox, and needs eight more to set a new franchise record.

Wakefield holds a number of Red Sox franchise records: innings pitched, games started, batters faced, hits allowed, walks allowed, home runs allowed, earned runs allowed, losses, wild pitches, and batters hit by pitch. Most of those are not accomplishments you would highlight on your resume, but that the downside of longevity.

Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 25 games last night with an eighth-inning home run. It was the 7th time during the streak (since June 29) Pedroia had his first hit of the game in the seventh inning or later. The streak-extending hits have come in his first plate appearance 9 times (including four of the last seven games), in his second PA 7 times, his third PA once, and his fourth PA 8 times. ... Just for fun: if Pedroia keeps his streak alive and plays in every game, he would break Joe DiMaggio's record of 56 games on August 31 (against the Yankees!).

Hitting streaks are more of an oddity than a measure of talent, and they give excessive importance to batting average -- rather than simply getting on base. Players usually hit very well during a lengthy streak, but you *could* hit only .200-.250, if you got one hit per game.

I have not read a lot about DiMaggio's streak, but I know a few of his hits (such as games 30 and 31) were most likely infield errors that were charitably called hits to keep the streak going.

(Note: I would expect modern official scorers to do the same thing if any player got over 40 games.)

Peter Abraham expresses his love for the White Sox's home park, on Twitter:"If there's ever another big fire in Chicago, hopefully this ballpark goes up first. ... I've never met one writer who likes it. Worst press box in the majors. No place treats media worse. ... It's dull and dingy."

I've read all kinds of critiques about the DiMaggio hit streak, and I would find them more credible if they didn't seem tinged with NYY hatred and RS bitterness. As we know, after the 56-game streak, there was one game in which he didn't hit, then another hit streak. (I want to say 34 games, but I'm not positive and can't look it up right now.)

Observing other hit streaks we've seen that seem incredibly impressive, yet aren't even halfway to the 56 mark, it seems a bit much to say that a hit streak is not some measure of talent.

But if it's not a measure of talent for Joe D, then it's not for Pedroia either. Are we willing to say that?

The other amazing thing about DiMaggio's streak is that no one has ever really come close. Rose hit 44 in 1978. The 2nd best AL streak is George Sisler's 41 (more than two weeks shorter!!). In fact, in the modern era, there have been only three other guys with 40+ streaks (Rose in '78, Sisler in '22, and Cobb in '11).

"Did you know that during the first season (1988) of Star Trek: The Next Generation in an episode titled The Big Goodbye they mentioned that Joe DiMaggio's streak was broken by a shortstop named Buck Bokai of the London Kings in the year 2026?"

From the documentaries I have seen about Williams . I think he could have had the season he had and throw in the 56 game hitting streak for him and he still would not have won, as we all know he wasnt well liked with the media.

Did anyone watch the Jeter special on HBO. It showed a different side of Jeter no one ever sees, actually wasn't that bad...I have enjoyed all the sports HBO does especially when Liev Schreiber does the voice over, he does a great job. I am not a fan of NASCAR but the 24/7 series on Jimmy Johnson was really good.

Oh, did I mention this? Earlier this year, I heard that MLB split up Joe West and Angel Hernandez, so they are not in the same umpiring crew anymore. Very quietly done. I think Joe Torre (who works for MLB now) had something to do with it. (I should search for a news story, but ...)

There is a clip somewhere of Harry Caray butchering Irabu's name (as he did for most names not "Smith"). MLB is very fast at getting clips taken down, so I can't find it quickly.

From one board, a Cubs fan recalls: One time WGN flashed the National League leading hitters on a graphic. It read: Tony Gywnn SD. Harry promptly said "Tony Gwynn of South Dakota" is leading the league. Steve Stone replied, "That's San Diego, Harry".

I think losing your knuckleball can have worse consequences than, for example, Beckett losing some control or speed, since a knuckleball that doesn't "knuckle" seems slow enough that I might be able to hit it.

Maybe the knuck is special, I don't know. We have seen lots of pitchers have a shitty 1st or 2nd and settle down (Lackey has done that twice recently), or a pitcher who walks the bases loaded and then gets 3 quick outs.

It always bothers me when I hear it ... as does annc. saying that "he can throw all night" because his arm doesn't get tired. Wakefield has said the exact opposite a zillion times in his career, but still ...

In Knocking at Heaven's Door, one of the minor league players who is profiled was a knuckleballer, and he talks about Wakefield as his mentor and how unusual it is for someone to be able to succeed as a knuckleball pitcher. Of course, the player in the book does not. Obviously it is an art and just as hard to master as other types of pitching.

I read it straight through, though at times I was a little bored. But overall it is an interesting book and not just about baseball. The two books together have really made me look at players who get called up from the minors for a few games very differently.

Which reminds me...what ever happened to Daniel Nava? He seemed to have a lot of potential, but he has disappeared.

It's hard to imagine these young men who dream of nothing but baseball and spend years in the minors and never get one game in the majors.

The 33 book is a lot more than a description of the game---it's really about all the various people and their dreams and their stories of reaching beyond their humble beginnings. Not just the players, but the fans, the batboys, the owner, etc. In some ways it is more a story of working class American than a story about baseball. IMHO.

Baseball Codes, huh? I will have to look it up. THough I may have read my quota of baseball books for this summer. :) I must say that they have been a nice break from all the law stuff I have been reading.

Amy, yes. Jonny is headed to Drexel in the fall. He was accepted into their music industry program. It looks like a great city for him...and the right school with the right program. He is ready to start tomorrow!

That's your niece who is starting law school, right? She should be starting in two weeks! If she has any questions, tell her to contact me. Also, if she needs a contract in Boston, I can connect her with my daughter.

L...wow. It always amazes me how people in this world are connected. What did your niece major in? What school did you go to?

They were telling the group about Drexel Day at Citizen's Bank Park. It's pretty cool. They reserve the entire outfield for about 2000 students. Their a cappella group sings the National Anthem. And, a freshman gets to throw out the first pitch.

It's funny that I was thinking of converting to a pseudonym before the season since most everyone else here had one. But then everyone converted to the real name (except SoSock, I guess) so I just figured for once in my life I was ahead of the curve!

True, lots of nicknames remain. But I figure I may as well be part of the avant garde for a change.

William and Mary and Penn are such different schools---one a top liberal arts small college, the other an Ivy League university. Like comparing apples and oranges. USNews doesn't even rate the two types together. Not that THOSE rankings mean a thing in reality.